Enforcement directorate ordered attachment of the properties of former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran and wife Kaveri Kalanithi valued at Rs 724 crore on Wednesday.

The ED is conducting an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, based on Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) findings that the former telecom minister had allegedly received illegal gratification from Maxis.

Chennai-based political observers say, the development is going to further spoil DMK’s chances in the state assembly elections in 2016 Marans are close relatives of DMK chief M Karnunanidhi.

Gnani Sankaran, a city-based political analyst says, “There is a disproportionate assets case against former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa but the DMK cannot capitalise this opportunity because of 2G scam and then Aircel-Maxis deal case against Maran brothers.

So it has certainly weakened the DMK.” He adds, “If MK Stalin, the party treasurer and younger son of M Karunanidhi, takes a stand and decides to suspend tainted people in his party like Maran, Raja and Kanimozhi, it could come as a damage control measure. Stalin himself is not tainted so that is an advantage for the party.”

Sources close to DMK say, there were times when Karunanidhi was unhappy with the Marans as they were using party’s goodwill to get plum business deals without making the party richer. The Maran family, used the political clout to build a profitable business empire that ranged from television stations to airlines. However, the airlines, Spicejet, of Kalanidhi Maran, had to be put on sale to save it from crashing out of business.

Moreover, DMK also does not like him because he is far removed from the cadre and they see him as someone who has amassed wealth only for himself. There were also whispers that during Lok Sabha elections Dayanidhi had not contributed enough to the party for the polls.

Comments

Other News

In the organized manufacturing and service sector, employment is expected to increase from the current 38 million to 46-48 million by 2022, a new study has found.
All the new forms of employment are expected to add a further 20% - 25% to the workforce of the current deﬁned “or

A day before a Supreme Court bench takes up petitions opposing mandatory Aadhaar linkage with several government services, the government has withdrawn its December 31 deadline to link Aadhaar with bank ac

A wide swathe of economic activities was nationalised in India after independence, and especially during Indira Gandhi’s prime ministership, for predominantly political reasons. But state ownership was also justified as a way to correct market failures, increase investible surpluses, and pursue wider

Calling for improved communication in the field of science and technology, eminent scientist and chairman, National Innovation Foundation, Dr Raghunath Mashelkar has said that it is important to advance knowledge and people need to know how that knowledge is for their own good.
“Public awaren

Three in four abortions in India are through drugs from chemists and informal vendors rather than from health facilities, said a report in The Lancet.
An estimated 15.6 million abortions were performed in the country in 2015, reports The Lancet in its latest released paper on ‘Inciden